Cheap Trick (1977 album)
Encyclopedia
Cheap Trick is the first studio album released in 1977 by the American rock
band Cheap Trick
. It was their debut album for Epic Records
, produced by Jack Douglas
.
bands of the period compared to the group's later more polished power pop
style, and the song lyrics deal with more extreme subject matter than later albums. For instance, "The Ballad of T.V. Violence" is about serial killer
Richard Speck
, "Daddy Should Have Stayed in High School" is about a pedophile, and "Oh Candy" is about a friend of the band who committed suicide
.
This album, along with the following three albums, are considered by fans and critics to be Cheap Trick's best works. This one, however, is more known for capturing both their dark side and the fierceness of their early live performances more than any other studio release in their catalog.
The album was produced by Jack Douglas
, who had achieved a similar sonic density with the blues-rock
/hard rock
Aerosmith
, and the album sounds quite different than subsequent Cheap Trick records. Jack Douglas later worked with the band on the Found All the Parts
EP, on the album Standing On The Edge, as well as on a re-recorded version of "Surrender" in the late 1990s and on a few tracks on Rockford
.
on May 1, 1998, they played the album in the intended order, starting with "Elo Kiddies". This concert was recorded, and parts of it contributed to the live album Music for Hangovers
.
When Rick Nielsen was working with John Lennon
on Double Fantasy
he told him about when the band was preparing to record their debut album they were trying to decide on a producer. Figuring they had nothing to lose, they sent a letter to Lennon requesting him but never got a reply. Lennon said he never received the letter but would loved to have done it.
".
released a cover of "He's a Whore" as a single. The single cover was a remake in the style of the original album cover. The song was later included on the CD release of Big Black's second album, Songs About Fucking
.
In the documentary End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones
, Johnny Ramone
states that the guitar riff of "The KKK Took My Baby Away
" was inspired by the riff of "He's a Whore"
The Methadones
covered "He's a Whore" on 21st Century Power Pop Riot
, an album of covers released in 2006.
Sugar High recorded a version of "Oh Candy" on their 2008 release "Let the Sunshine Out".
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
. It was their debut album for Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
, produced by Jack Douglas
Jack Douglas (record producer)
Jack Douglas is an American record producer. He was born in New York City. Starting out as folk musician and performer, he worked on Robert Kennedy's senatorial campaign as a song-writer. Douglas then moved to England and joined a succession of bands before returning to New York to attend the...
.
Overview
Most of the songs have a more raw sound akin to hard rockHard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
bands of the period compared to the group's later more polished power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
style, and the song lyrics deal with more extreme subject matter than later albums. For instance, "The Ballad of T.V. Violence" is about serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
Richard Speck
Richard Speck
Richard Franklin Speck was a mass murderer who systematically tortured, raped and murdered eight student nurses from South Chicago Community Hospital in Chicago, Illinois on July 14, 1966.- Monmouth, 1941–1950 :...
, "Daddy Should Have Stayed in High School" is about a pedophile, and "Oh Candy" is about a friend of the band who committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
.
This album, along with the following three albums, are considered by fans and critics to be Cheap Trick's best works. This one, however, is more known for capturing both their dark side and the fierceness of their early live performances more than any other studio release in their catalog.
The album was produced by Jack Douglas
Jack Douglas (record producer)
Jack Douglas is an American record producer. He was born in New York City. Starting out as folk musician and performer, he worked on Robert Kennedy's senatorial campaign as a song-writer. Douglas then moved to England and joined a succession of bands before returning to New York to attend the...
, who had achieved a similar sonic density with the blues-rock
Blues-rock
Blues rock is a hybrid musical genre combining bluesy improvisations over the 12-bar blues and extended boogie jams with rock and roll styles. The core of the blues rock sound is created by the electric guitar, piano, bass guitar and drum kit, with the electric guitar usually amplified through a...
/hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
, and the album sounds quite different than subsequent Cheap Trick records. Jack Douglas later worked with the band on the Found All the Parts
Found All The Parts
Found All the Parts is an EP released by Cheap Trick in 1980. It was released on a 10" disc as part of Epic Records' short-lived Nu-Disk series. The EP also contained a bonus promotional 7" single of "Everything Works If You Let It". Found All the Parts was reissued in 12" format in 1983."Day...
EP, on the album Standing On The Edge, as well as on a re-recorded version of "Surrender" in the late 1990s and on a few tracks on Rockford
Rockford (album)
-Singles:* "Perfect Stranger* "If It Takes A Lifetime"* "Come On, Come On, Come On" .-Outtakes:* "Mando Ragga" * "What's In It For You"...
.
Background information
The original vinyl record had "Side A" printed on one side of the label and "Side 1" printed on the other, a humorous touch reflecting the band's conviction that they didn't have any "B" material, although the placement of the track listing on the jacket seemed to indicate "Hot Love" was the first track on the album. Indeed, the matrix numbers on the record show the "Hot Love" side was designated side A and the "Elo Kiddies" side as side B. When the album was released on compact disc in the mid-1980s, it followed the same sequence. However, when the album was reissued on CD in 1998, the band's preferred sequence was used, with "Elo Kiddies" being the first track. When Cheap Trick performed the entire debut album at the Metro ChicagoMetro Chicago
This page is about the concert hall; for the metro region surrounding Chicago, see Chicago metropolitan area.Metro is a concert hall at 3730 N. Clark Street in Chicago, Illinois that plays host to a variety of local, regional and national emerging bands and musicians. The Metro was first opened in...
on May 1, 1998, they played the album in the intended order, starting with "Elo Kiddies". This concert was recorded, and parts of it contributed to the live album Music for Hangovers
Music for Hangovers
Music for Hangovers is a live album and DVD by the rock band Cheap Trick. The album is a compilation from the band's four nights at The Metro in Chicago, Illinois in 1998...
.
When Rick Nielsen was working with John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
on Double Fantasy
Double Fantasy
Double Fantasy is an album released by John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, in 1980. Though initially poorly received, the album is notable for its association with Lennon's murder three weeks after its release, whereupon it become a worldwide commercial success, and went on to win the 1981 Album...
he told him about when the band was preparing to record their debut album they were trying to decide on a producer. Figuring they had nothing to lose, they sent a letter to Lennon requesting him but never got a reply. Lennon said he never received the letter but would loved to have done it.
Side A
- "Hot Love" — 2:30
- "Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace" (Terry ReidTerry ReidTerry Reid is an English rock vocalist and guitarist. He has performed with high profile musicians, as a supporting act, a session musician, and sideman.- History :...
) — 4:35 - "He's a WhoreHe's a Whore"He's a Whore" is a song written by Rick Nielsen that was first released on Cheap Trick's 1977 debut album Cheap Trick. It has also appeared on a number of Cheap Trick compilation albums, including The Essential Cheap Trick...
" — 2:43 - "Mandocello" — 4:47
- "The Ballad of T.V. Violence (I'm Not the Only Boy)" — 5:15
Side 1
- "ELO KiddiesElo Kiddies"ELO Kiddies" is a glam-style song written by Rick Nielsen and originally released by Cheap Trick on the 1977 album Cheap Trick. It was released as a single twice, in 1977 as an A-side backed by "Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Peace" and in 1979, as the B-side the live "Ain't That a Shame" from...
" — 3:41 - "Daddy Should Have Stayed in High School" — 4:44
- "Taxman, Mr. Thief" — 4:16
- "Cry, Cry" (Nielsen, Robin Zander, Tom Petersson) — 4:22
- "Oh, Candy" — 3:07
Bonus tracks (1998 Reissue)
The 1998 reissue of Cheap Trick was released with five bonus tracks, including an early studio version of their later hit "I Want You to Want MeI Want You to Want Me
"I Want You to Want Me" is a song by Cheap Trick which first appeared on their second album In Color in 1977. It was the first single released from that album but it didn't chart in the US. However, it was a #1 single in Japan...
".
- "Lovin' Money" — 4:09
- "I Want You To Want Me" — 2:43
- "Lookout" — 3:30
- "You're All Talk" (Nielsen, Petersson) — 3:31
- "I Dig Go-Go Girls" — 3:06
Singles
- 1977: "Oh Candy b/w Daddy Should Have Stayed in High School"
- 1977: "ELO Kiddies b/w Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Peace" (Europe)
Unreleased Outtakes
- "Disco Paradise"
- "Surrender" (Later re-recorded for their third album Heaven TonightHeaven TonightHeaven Tonight is Cheap Trick's third album, released in 1978. The album was remastered and released with bonus tracks on Sony's Epic/Legacy imprint in 1998. The album cover features lead singer Robin Zander and bassist Tom Petersson....
) - "Auf Wiedersehen" (Also later re-recorded for their third album Heaven Tonight)
- "Ultramental" (Later reworked and became the title track to the album Dream PoliceDream PoliceDream Police is a 1979 studio album by Cheap Trick. It was their fourth studio release, and third in a row produced by Tom Werman. It is the band's most commercially successful studio album, going to No...
)
Personnel
- Robin ZanderRobin ZanderRobin Wayne Zander is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the rock band Cheap Trick.-Early life:Zander was born in Beloit, Wisconsin, the fourth of five children; he has two older brothers, and older and younger sisters....
– lead vocals, rhythm guitar - Rick NielsenRick Nielsen-External links:* * *...
– lead guitar, vocals - Tom PeterssonTom PeterssonTom Petersson is an American musician, best known as the bassist and sometime guitarist for the rock band Cheap Trick.-Career:...
– bass guitar, vocals - Bun E. CarlosBun E. CarlosBun E. Carlos, born Brad Carlson, June 12, 1951, is the primary drummer for American rock band Cheap Trick. He is the band's chief setlister and archivist, and maintains recordings of all the band's shows, some of which have been released under the name 'Bun E's Bootlegs'.Carlos is left-handed, but...
– drums
Additional personnel
- Jack DouglasJack Douglas (record producer)Jack Douglas is an American record producer. He was born in New York City. Starting out as folk musician and performer, he worked on Robert Kennedy's senatorial campaign as a song-writer. Douglas then moved to England and joined a succession of bands before returning to New York to attend the...
- producer - Jay MessinaJay MessinaJay Messina is an American audio engineer, mastering and mixing engineer and music producer. He started out recording sessions for legendary arranger Don Ellion and quickly promoted to A&R Recording. He later moved to the Record Plant when it opened in 1968...
- engineer - Sam Ginsberg - assistant engineer
Covers
Big BlackBig Black
Big Black was an American punk rock band from Evanston, Illinois, active from 1981 to 1987. Founded by singer and guitarist Steve Albini, the band's initial lineup also included guitarist Santiago Durango and bassist Jeff Pezzati, both of Naked Raygun...
released a cover of "He's a Whore" as a single. The single cover was a remake in the style of the original album cover. The song was later included on the CD release of Big Black's second album, Songs About Fucking
Songs About Fucking
Songs About Fucking is the second and final album by the noise rock band Big Black. It placed 54th on Pitchfork Media's 'Top 100 Albums of the 1980s'. Included are covers of Kraftwerk's "The Model" and Cheap Trick's "He's a Whore".-Production:...
.
In the documentary End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones
End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones
End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones is a 2003 documentary film about highly influential New York punk rock band the Ramones. The film, produced and directed by Jim Fields and Michael Gramaglia, documents the band's history from their formation in the early 1970s and 22 subsequent years of...
, Johnny Ramone
Johnny Ramone
John William Cummings , better known by his stage name Johnny Ramone, was an American guitarist and songwriter, best known for being the guitarist for the punk rock band the Ramones. He was a founding member of the band, and remained a member throughout the band's entire career...
states that the guitar riff of "The KKK Took My Baby Away
The KKK Took My Baby Away
"The KKK Took My Baby Away" is a song written by Joey Ramone. It appears on the Ramones' 1981 album Pleasant Dreams.It has been speculated that Joey wrote the song as a reference to Johnny Ramone "stealing" away his girlfriend Linda, though Joey's brother Mickey Leigh has said that the song was...
" was inspired by the riff of "He's a Whore"
The Methadones
The Methadones
The Methadones were a band formed in 1993 by guitarist/vocalist Dan Vapid. The Methadones initially lasted only a few shows before Dan put them to the side to focus on his main band Screeching Weasel. By 1999 Dan was no longer a member of Screeching Weasel or his other band The Riverdales, and...
covered "He's a Whore" on 21st Century Power Pop Riot
21st Century Power Pop Riot
21st Century Power Pop Riot is an album by The Methadones that consists entirely of power pop covers.-Track list:...
, an album of covers released in 2006.
Sugar High recorded a version of "Oh Candy" on their 2008 release "Let the Sunshine Out".